


Pay Attention, You Fool

by notanythingyet



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Canon Compliant, Jealous Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Kwon Soonyoung secretly loves romantic comedies, M/M, pure fluff, soonyoung is hyung okay I know they only have a few months difference but I liked it so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 15:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19948690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notanythingyet/pseuds/notanythingyet
Summary: Jihoon looked at Soonyoung’s tired eyes and messy hair, and maybe it was the romantic comedy they watched earlier, maybe it was all this talk of love, maybe it was the drowsy cold medicine coursing through his veins, or maybe it was just him finally paying attention to his feelings, but when Jihoon looked at Soonyoung, he felt this odd pull in his chest. It was almost painful, but not quite with the way it ached just as he watched the other’s perplexed face. He couldn’t pinpoint it to anything he has ever felt before, and he suddenly wanted to be closer to the other, like a magnet pulling him closer, closer, closer…Or; a sick Soonhoon stay at the dorm together and watch romantic comedies whilst they rest, until Jihoon starts having thoughts he can’t quite shake.





	Pay Attention, You Fool

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of the first works I am writing on here, so please be kind. I couldn't stop thinking about a soft Soonhoon cuddling and watching Life As We Know It, so, here's what I came up with, short and sweet (like Soonhoon themselves).

It started when Soonyoung and Jihoon had to stay home from practice because they were both horribly sick, which couldn’t have come at a more detrimental time in their comeback schedule.

Today was one of the three ten-hour days they all dedicated to practicing and perfecting their choreography. By the time the two got better, they would have to work twice as hard to catch up to the other members. Jihoon knew his anxiety could be seen from a mile away, and of course, Soonyoung had his annoyingly positive attitude.

“Don’t worry about it, Jihoonie, we are the HOSHI-WOOZI combo, right? We’ll watch the videos they record today at practice, and even though our physical bodies may be weak, we can get mentally prepared like the captains we are!”

His voice cracked too many times for Jihoon to take him seriously, and his response was just to laugh weakly as he plopped down on the couch and Soonyoung brought over their second cup of soup of the day.

“Thanks, hyung.” Jihoon was flicking through channels on the remote, and Soonyoung got comfy on the other side of the L-shaped couch. “What do you want to watch?”

Soonyoung appeared to be thinking hard about it before he said, “whatever you want, I don’t really care.” he said it with a bright smile, and although his voice sounded coarse and his nose was red from all the times spent blowing it, he looked extremely adorable.

Jihoon had always known that Soonyoung was adorable, had always acknowledged the cute names fans would call him, and he agreed because he’s not blind. He just wasn’t expecting his thoughts to go further than that objective fact.

But lately, Jihoon has been troubled by some cumbersome thoughts about the other. These thoughts he decided he would keep to himself out of pure self-preservation. If this was about anyone else, anyone who wasn't in the same group as him, he’d likely tell Seungcheol, his most trusted hyung. For some reason, however, he didn’t think he could. He thought it might be wrong of him to be feeling these things about a fellow group member and he would get scolded, and he didn't want to make it a big thing, because it wasn’t. Was it?

Jihoon’s thoughts were interrupted by Soonyoung who said, “But before we watch anything, we need to take our medicine, one for now and another in 4 hours, I’ll make a timer.”

“Okay, I’ll go get it from the cabinet”, as he got up from the couch he handed Soonyoung the remote, “Hyung, I want you to choose, I chose the last one, it’s only fair.” and the devious smile on Soonyoung’s face should have been warning enough, that he had just made a terrible mistake.

As Jihoon walked up to the cabinet in the kitchen, he saw Soonyoung’s phone was open on the counter, he looked at it, and then back towards the living room. The sudden urge to read the three new texts from Seokmin came to him, then left as soon as he heard Soonyoung yell from the living room.

“Yes! Alright, Jihoonie I got the perfect movie; can you bring me a cola?”

Jihoon pocketed Soonyoung’s phone to bring it to him, walked to the fridge, grabbed two bottles of juice (because they were sick for god’s sake) picked out the bottle of medicine Jeonghan got for them this morning and plopped back down on his side of the couch. Soonyoung was noticeably situated closer to him, which he didn't bother to bring up.

He threw the bottle at Soonyoung, and a boisterous whine came from the other side of the couch, “but I asked for a cola! I hate this health juice!” Hoshi was now kicking his legs up off the couch like a child having a tantrum, and Jihoon just watched unamused. “Why am I being treated this way!” Hoshi cried out, as he dramatically took a tissue off the coffee table and blew his nose, “Not fair”.

“We’re sick Hosh, the last thing we need is cola,” Jihoon said firmly. “Now take your damn medicine,” he handed him a pill out of the blue bottle, “and drink all of your juice and let’s get better already you punk.” It came out a little too firm, but it was a caring gesture nonetheless.

Soonyoung just watched him in awe, with a pill in his right hand and the juice in his left, his open mouth turned into a small grin, then a hand was coming up to his head in a salute, “yes sir!” he exclaimed with mock-excitement.

Jihoon merely threw the phone he retrieved from the kitchen counter at him as a response, tossing the pill back with some water himself as he got comfortable to watch the movie.

As the movie was on pause, Jihoon looked over and Soonyoung had the remote but his face was completely red and he was smiling down at his phone.

“Hyung, are you going to play the movie or are you just going to smile down at your phone all day?” Jihoon was slightly whining now and slightly irritated, but he didn’t know quite why.

“Oh, sorry!” he finished typing out what was probably a response to DK, his face still slightly flushed. “I was just texting Seokmin” he put his phone on the couch beside him, scooted closer to Jihoon so he could lie down, picked up the remote and pressed play.

Jihoon was whispering now as the opening music played over their new surround sound system, “what movie did you pick, hyung?”

Soonyoung smiled, and waved his hands to hush Jihoon to silence, watching the screen with a glint in his eyes. Jihoon had to firmly come to grips with the fact that this was not normal. Right now, wasn’t the best time, when they were sick and tired, cuddled up watching what now seems to be a romantic comedy, but having Soonyoung this close just makes Jihoon’s mind go places.

Places he’s not comfortable going right now. Jihoon looks away from his senior and lays his head back as the title of the movie finally rolls onto the screen.

“Life as We Know It”, Jihoon said out loud in English, “Where’d you hear this movie from?”

“Somewhere, now watch!” He looked at the screen with that same smile on his face, with the same glint in his eyes that made it physically taxing to look away.

“Okay weirdo, please just remember to take your medicine before you crash”, and Jihoon tried his best to pay attention to the movie from there on out.

Jihoon dozed off nearly a half hour into the movie, only seeing the main character's awful encounter with a date.  
________________________________________________________________

Jihoon didn’t even know when he fell asleep, but by the time he woke up the two main characters who were bickering, in the beginning, were now making out? He rolled his eyes at the dense storytelling, the obvious enemies to friends to lover’s quarrel was a trope Jihoon was oddly always sick of seeing in movies and shows.

Maybe it was due to the face that real life just didn’t work out that way. Of course, it did for some people, but the vast majority of us don’t get those spectacularly happy conclusions, and it just annoyed him to see it get such popularity since it makes some people’s standards and expectations so high that they are just destined to be let down.

However, the next thing he noticed was Soonyoung, hiccupping as he wiped a tear from his face and watched on as the couple kissed and laughed, and then later walked over to check on a baby? When did that happen? He missed a whole lot, apparently.

“You’re crying?” Jihoon didn’t say it with any judgment, but he was most definitely judging the other. Kwon Soonyoung never struck him as the easily brainwashed romantic, “When did they even get a kid?”

Soonyoung started crying even harder at that, his face scrunching up which made his face look funny, and he yelled the next sentiment at his Hyung then, “Lee Jihoon, you didn’t watch a second of it! You can’t make fun of me because you don’t know what happened! That movie was beautiful and I HATE YOU!” he hiccupped some more and picked up a few tissues as he sat up, now needing to take a breath.

“I was tired, can you blame me? We’re supposed to be resting after all” Jihoon awkwardly laughed then, “but you really liked that movie?”

He was yelling again. “YES!” Then he threw himself down into his bundle of blankets face down, muffled groaning is all that could be heard.

“Tell me about it then.”

“No way! You fell asleep you lost your chance at hearing that beautiful story!”

“I want to hear it from you, though.” Jihoon was being serious, and for some reason, the sincerity in his voice caught Soonyoung off guard, who was now smiling against his tissue.

“Okay. So basically, the story follows these two individuals who have two best friends (who are dating) that try to set them up on a blind date. That date ends horribly because quite honestly the guy was an asshole and showed up late poorly dressed and, on a motorcycle, which just added 100 points to his douchebag scale.

“Douchebag scale”? Jihoon was giggling at that.

“Jihoon, focus. So, they don’t even go on the date because they argue before anything happens, so the girl rightfully tells him to fuck off. That was the end of it, right? Wrong, because since their best friends are dating, they see each other at nearly every big event in their friends’ lives, so their paths intertwine. The friends, by the way, still believe the two people should get together because they have such similar personalities. I’m going to skip ahead because you’re losing concentration and I’m tired. So long story short their best friends get married, have a kid, then the two parents die in a car accident and leave the baby to their two friends and they have to share custody of this kid, which was kind of a sneaky way for them to get the two together at the end, which you saw they did. So, yea. That’s the story.”

“Holy shit”. Jihoon stared in awe, maybe that wasn't such a cliché movie in that case.

As Soonyoung was retelling the story, Jihoon’s mind drifted elsewhere. He looked at the younger eagerly, telling this story with a bright, incredible smile. He watched the other as his natural pigment flushed across his skin again as he calmed down, and how he kept pushing his hair back from his face, and how his hands fidgeted with a pillow in his lap as he went on and on about the couple in the movie, how they were meant to be, and how under such stressful circumstances you really get to know someone and Jihoon just sat there, staring at his bandmate who he has cried and argued and laughed with, and he just wanted to kiss him.

Jihoon stopped in his mind’s tracks, shocked and even amused at where his thoughts were taking him since he never wanted to kiss Soonyoung before. Why was now, of all times, the time that Jihoon was getting really into his older friend’s plump red lips, and why couldn’t he take his eyes off of them?

Soonyoung’s voice came out harsh now, “you're not even listening, wow.” Jihoon slowly looked towards the older’s eyes at that, which were glaring at him in what was supposed to be intimidating but just came out adorable. The next words out of his mouth didn’t even process in his own mind before they left his lips.

“Soonyoung hyung, have you ever been in love?”

They were looking at each other now, silence in the air, then a nervous laugh from the older, “Why are you changing the subject? I’m upset with you!”

“I know, I just… I just want to know” what was he saying?

“Uhm, I don’t know, I’ve loved people, but I don’t know if I would say I’ve been in love with someone”

“How do you know the difference?”

“Uhm, I guess if you know the other loves you back, then you can be IN love, together, you know?”

“And the people you love don’t love you back?”

“I don’t know! Why are you even curious about my love-”?

“Because, you never watch these romantic movies and the first one we watch together you start crying over, and I want to know why.”

“Well, what about you? You always watch movies with me, but this time you ignored it and didn't even show interest in, you were either on your phone or sleeping. So, I guess I should ask you this, why don’t you care about love?”

“I care about love,” Jihoon wasn’t sure why, but that one came out a bit more defensive than he wanted it to.

“Well, you surely don’t show it.” Jihoon noticed the lilt in his voice, then. He noticed the way his eyes looked down, and he slumped further into the couch.

“Watching movies like this annoy me because they set unrealistic expectations on what love should look like. I write love songs, you know, that’s how I think I show I care about love, and how I express it, I guess.”

“So, you love your songs.” it was a statement, but why did it feel like a question?

“That’s not the only thing I love, Soonyoung, you know that.” it was Jihoon’s turn to look down at his lap, where he was carelessly playing with his phone in his hands, probably to give them something to do.

“No, I don’t think I do, Jihoonie. Are you trying to tell me you love me?” He said it mockingly, but Jihoon was suddenly so hot he could feel his ears burn and his head beat like his heart was in his throat.

“I feel indifferent about you, you loser. I was talking about Black Panther, my one true king. Wakanda Forever,” they were laughing, it didn’t last too long but it eased the pain Jihoon felt in his chest.

Soonyoung’s voice was low now, “Well, have you?” he was looking down at the pillow as he fiddled with it, “ever been in love, I mean? Like in REAL love I guess?”

Jihoon was expecting this question, it only made sense since he’s the one who brought up the topic, that he would get it in return, but he wasn’t expecting to hear his heart in his chest so loudly in his ears, when Soonyoung directed that question at him, his face to get this warm, is throat to constrict as he said, “I don’t know, I don’t think so.”

“How the hell do you not know?”

“I guess I don’t pay much attention to my own emotions if that makes sense? I feel like I write down what I feel and then that gets made into a song, and it’s no longer my feeling, it’s a seventeen song and I no longer own the rights. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but I just don’t know.”

“Sounds to me like you’ve definitely been in love then if your songs are anything to go by. Like, if those were real feelings you felt for someone, that seems to be love.”

There was a long pause, Jihoon was just looking at him, seriously, thoughts whirling in his head a mile a minute. Then Soonyoung suddenly got up, looking down towards Jihoon who was sitting up on the couch still adorably cuddled up in his blankets, he reached a hand to poke one of his cheeks and simply said, “pay more attention then, you fool,” then he walked down the hall and Jihoon thinks he heard the bathroom fan running.

Jihoon released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, relief washed over him as his heart found its normal rhythm.

Then suddenly, Jihoon noticed a vibration ringing, and after ruffling through blankets, he found Soonyoung’s phone which was notifying him that it was time for them to take their medicine again. He turned the timer off and grabbed the pill bottle from the table, placing one pill on the table near Soonyoung, and one in his mouth.

As he was reaching for something to wash it down, Soonyoung’s phone vibrated again, this time with a text from DK. Jihoon swallowed one pill with water, but as he kept drinking, another text came in, and his curiosity got the best of him, so he picked up the phone.

It wasn’t entirely Jihoon’s fault, because Soonyoung didn’t hide his messages when his phone was locked, which is something he really should do, so sneaky people like Jihoon don’t read them, but that’s unimportant.

The messages were surprisingly still coming in, and Jihoon scrolled down the lock screen to read in succession,

“Tell him, you annoying brat”

“You are so whipped, just TELL HIM”

“Or I will!”

“I won’t lol, but please do it!”

“I’m going to assume you’ve told him and are making out right now, so good job buddy, I knew you could do it!”

“Please tell me you did it”

“HOSHHIIIIIIII”

He threw Soonyoung’s phone down on the pile of blankets like it was a hot rock, and is slightly glad he wasn’t drinking water, or else he would have choked.

What was all that supposed to mean? Who were they talking about? What did Soonyoung have to tell them? Why was he whipped for this person? And Why was the pit of Jihoon’s stomach getting hot with some annoyance he wasn’t comfortable with?

He got up from the couch a little too fast, because he got a head rush, he struggled to have his feet were caught in his blankets, but got his feet and ran towards the dorm bathroom, because for some reason his brain was telling him to find out, find out, find out.

Right as he was going to knock on the bathroom door, Soonyoung opened it, and was fast to walk out, so fast that he bumped into Jihoon, making him topple over a bit.

Jihoon was giggling then, and Soonyoung’s confused face laughed along merely at the other’s laugh. “What is up with you? Did you get drunk without me or something?”

“Medicine, it’s time,” Jihoon slurred a bit, but stood up straight, because that wasn’t why he wanted to talk to the older, but Soonyoung cut his thoughts off by grabbing his hand and dragging him to the living room,

“Okay, thanks for setting mine out.” He grabbed his water and medicine and chugged both down in a swift motion. Jihoon was watching quietly a foot away, and stared as the other downed the water in one go, taking the medicine down easily, and Jihoon had the sudden urge to hug him.

But first, find out. “Do you have a crush on someone?” Jihoon blurted out a bit too loud in the completely empty dorm room, the only other sound was their breathing and the air conditioner.

“Huh? What?” Soonyoung looked a little worried now.

“Just tell me. I’m upset you haven’t told me, Hyung I thought we were close and now I find out and I just need to know.” his words were slowed, a little out of his own character, a sign that the drowsy medicine worked, apparently.

“Where did you even find out? Did someone tell you? What do you know?” He felt put on the spot, and worried, and that only grew to upset Jihoon more. Because they were friends, right, supposed to be family, so why was he so worried? Why did he seem uncomfortable?

So Jihoon Soonyoung looked at him, his eyes pleading with him, don’t make me say it they told him.

“Just tell me,” he whispered, “please”.

“Jihoon, are you really going to make me say it? Do you really not know?” now it was Soonyoung’s turn to be angry, and Jihoon wasn’t having any of it.

“Why else would I ask you?” He took a step forward now, close enough to feel the warmth radiating off the other’s skin.

“Aish, you’re not in touch with your own emotions, and apparently not anyone else’s either.” The older nearly laughed and shook his head.

“What does this have to do with me?” Jihoon searched his face for something, but what came out of his mouth wasn’t at all what the other was expecting.

“Are you kidding me? It IS you, you goddamn idiot.”

Jihoon didn’t know what to do, he was overwhelmed and a little sluggish, so when his brain short-circuited and all he could hear was closer, closer, closer, he did just that. But when he wrapped his arms around the elder’s waist in what should have been a hug but was more akin to a tackle, they lost their balance and ended up on the couch, Jihoon on top of Soonyoung, just hugging his middle, and Soonyoung has yet to move in any way, still stunned by the sudden affection from the younger.

“What is this Ji?”

“I’m hugging you.”

“I know you are, silly, but why?”

“Because I want to, duh.” And that was that they moved a bit to get comfortable, with Jihoon more on his side than on top of the older, and his head resting near Soonyoung’s armpit.

“Well, I like this,” Soonyoung said this in almost a whisper.

Jihoon just smiled and turned to give Soonyoung’s shoulder a kiss so microscopic, Soonyoung wouldn’t have felt it if he didn’t see it happen in front of his face.

“Jihoon…” Soonyoung sounded slightly sad now, and that made Jihoon worry.

“I’m sorry, hyung, I shouldn’t-” and Jihoon was starting to get up, but was kept in his place by Soonyoung’s hold.

“No, it’s okay, please stay”.

It was in that moment that Jihoon realized what DK and Soonyoung were talking about, and Jihoon laughs a little because he feels like such an idiot. They are staying in the house all alone together after all, who else would he be making out with?

And Jihoon is slightly less-hazy mind got an idea as he remembered those words he read from DK, so he got up onto his elbows so he could see Soonyoung’s face better, who was curiously looking back, with a smile so soft it could melt Jihoon.

Jihoon looked at Soonyoung’s tired eyes and messy hair, and maybe it was the romantic comedy they watched earlier, maybe it was all this talk of love, maybe it was the drowsy cold medicine coursing through his veins, or maybe it was just him finally paying attention to his feelings, but when Jihoon looked at Soonyoung, he felt this odd pull in his chest. It was almost painful, but not quite with the way it ached just as he watched the other’s perplexed face. He couldn’t pinpoint it to anything he has ever felt before, and he suddenly wanted to be closer to the other, like a magnet pulling him closer and closer to the other. Close enough to feel what he feels, so they could feel it together. Fuck ignoring your feelings, he just wanted to be right here forever.

He shifts again just enough to hover above Soonyoung, and Soonyoung looks so, so warm, his eyes are looking up at Jihoon curiously, and he notably decides to ask permission, just to fuck with the older

“Do you want to kiss me?”

“I mean, you’re the one on top of me, do YOU want to kiss ME,” Soonyoung was teasing, but Jihoon wasn’t joking around.

“I asked you first.” His face serious enough to wipe the smirk off Soonyoung’s face, so his answer comes out a little wavering,

“I mean, I do… of course, I do, but do you? Do you really want to? Because if you’re only doing this for me then I don’t want it I just-”

“Soonyoung, look at me, why would I be here, on top of you, asking if you want a kiss from me if I didn’t want it just as much” Soonyoung ran his fingers across Jihoon’s wrist by his head, “or even more.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Soonyoung said eagerly as came up to kiss the younger man, impatient as ever. Jihoon hovered over him, as their lips delicately danced, one elbow lifting him up off the couch and the other around the base of Soonyoung’s neck. “There’s no way you want to do this more than me.”

“It’s not a competition, Hyung.” Jihoon giggled against his lips, they were softer than he’d imagined. Better than anything he could have ever imagined.

“It always is with you, plus that makes this more fun,” Soonyoung was now kissing Jihoon’s neck, and briskly flipped them over so that the younger was the one on his back, positions reversed. “And technically, I already win because I knew I wanted to kiss you for years.”

Jihoon’s eyebrows lifted suggestively, “Years, you say? What else did you think of, baby?”

Soonyoung's eyes bulged out of his head at that, obviously, he was teasing, “I think this is pretty fun right now unless you want to kill me of course.” He sealed Soonyoung’s response with another kiss, this time deeper, their lips crashing together like magnets, their chests against each other, and for a faint moment Jihoon feels Soonyoung’s heart beating at a quicker pace, catching up to his own, and he felt warm inside.

“Where is this coming from? I’m not complaining, like at all, but what the fuck…”

“I guess I just... finally started paying attention."

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive and respectful criticism is quite helpful so please feel free to leave any down below in the comments.


End file.
